TUESDAY (all day) ... what we filed for tomorrow's print edition. ... watch for lots of video later today from videographer Molly Blue. Also follow us on Twitter.com/PnBuker.

CORVALLIS - Somewhere in the middle of the talk about making a statement and gaining a measure of revenge for what happened in 2007 in the Eastern time zone, somebody asked Oregon State coach Mike Riley if it's possible the Beavers are facing the best team in Ohio on Saturday at Reser Stadium.

"We might be,'' said Riley, uttering a sound bite that would probably send shock waves through Columbus but didn't draw much reaction Tuesday in the Valley Center.

In other words, unbeaten and No. 17 Cincinnati (2-0) could be better than No. 11 Ohio State (1-1) as the college football season begins to unfold.

If true, that would be great for the reputation of the sometimes-maligned Big East Conference and perhaps not-so-great for 3½-point favorite OSU, which has won 26 straight non-conference games at home but finds that streak in jeopardy against a team that has beaten Rutgers 47-15 and Southeast Missouri State 70-3 in its first two games.

"I watched one series on live TV when they played Rutgers,'' said Riley, "then I just turned it off. I mean, it was like 10 yards a play, then touchdown. I said, 'that's enough for now' because I needed to be thinking about UNLV.''

For Cincinnati, which boasts a fast-paced, no-huddle offense that scores quickly, this has all the makings of a "statement game'' - a chance to show pollsters that it can travel across several time zones and still look like the team that put up video game offensive numbers in Week 1 and Week 2.

For Oregon State (2-0), there is the chance to go 3-0 for the first time since 2002, and with it the likelihood of being ranked in the Top 25 earlier that any previous Mike Riley-coached team.

There is also the "we owe them one'' angle, because when these two programs met early in 2007, the Beavers fell apart, committing seven turnovers in a 34-3 loss that remains a vivid memory to the players involved.

After that game, said OSU quarterback Sean Canfield, who threw three interceptions, "we had to stay overnight, too, which made it worse. ... I think our team is definitely excited to get some redemption.''

Outside linebacker Keaton Kristick was on that quiet plane ride home two years ago.

"Cincinnati is definitely a team we've had on our minds since (that game),'' said Kristick.

Riley said redemption might be a buzz word this week, but he doesn't see it overshadowing the simple fact this is one of the biggest non-conference games at OSU in years.

"I hope the guys who were around remember it,'' said Riley of the 2007 debacle, "but it won't be hard for our guys to see how good (the 2009 Bearcats) are on film. ... it's a big game for both teams, and that's probably enough (motivation).''

Cincinnati is the first ranked non-Pacific 10 Conference team to play in Corvallis since 1977, when the Craig Fertig-coached Beavers defeated No. 13 BYU 24-19.

OSU, meanwhile, needed a last-second 33-yard field goal from Justin Kahut to get by Nevada-Las Vegas 23-21 on the road in a Week 2 game that had a lot of ragged edges.

"We played okay,'' said Riley, who thinks the Beavers are just a shadow of what they can be when everything is clicking.

"Obviously, this is a big step up and we have to improve dramatically to win this game,'' he said. ... "I don't know who we are yet. We've still got a lot to prove.''

Beavers' cornerback Tim Clark said it isn't just Cincinnati that can make a statement on Saturday.

Clark said he his teammates know all about prolific 6-foot-6 Bearcats' quarterback Tony Pike and wide receiver/kick returner Mardy Gilyard - who might be the most dangerous player OSU faces until it meets California and tailback Jahvid Best on Nov. 7.

"They've shown that they can put up points better than anybody,'' said Clark, "so the level of anticipation is high. The stage is set for us to show the nation what the 2009 (OSU) defense is about
and we plan on doing that.''

Cincinnati's game-long two-minute drill on offense is imposing, but some OSU players say it is still a spread offense at its core and the Beavers have already faced two spread teams in Portland State and UNLV.

"As far as them having explosive athletes (on offense), it's Division I football,'' said Mitchell.

"Everybody you face has athletes. ... you just have to execute.''

Asked if a lot of the OSU players were thinking about revenge, Kristick shrugged.

"It is what it is,'' he answered.

Canfield, who leads the nation in completion percentage (78.6) after two games, wonders how many points it will take to beat the Bearcats.

"We have to be firing on all cylinders,'' he said.

"They're in the Top 20, right? It definitely raises the stakes. We all want to rise to the occasion.''

Notes: OSU's 26-game non-conference win streak in Corvallis started on Nov. 16, 1996 with a 67-28 win over Northern Illinois. .. Riley is 17-0 in non-conference home games as the OSU coach. ... OSU is 14-2 since the start of the 2006 season in games decided by seven points or less. ... an OSU-Cincinnati game wouldn't have registered on a national scale a few years ago, but since 2006 OSU is 30-12 and the defending Big East champion Bearcats are 31-11.